Judges 9:42-57

A Millstone Falls on Abimelech

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42The next day the people of Shechem went out into the fields, and this was reported to Abimelech.

43So he took his men, divided them into three companies, and lay in wait in the fields. When he saw the people coming out of the city, he rose up against them and attacked them.

44Then Abimelech and the companies with him rushed forward and took their stand at the entrance of the city gate. The other two companies rushed against all who were in the fields and struck them down.

45And all that day Abimelech fought against the city until he had captured it and killed its people. Then he demolished the city and sowed it with salt.

46On hearing of this, all the leaders in the tower of Shechem entered the inner chamber of the temple of El-berith.

47And when Abimelech was told that all the leaders in the tower of Shechem were gathered there,

48he and all his men went up to Mount Zalmon. Abimelech took his axe in his hand and cut a branch from the trees, which he lifted to his shoulder, saying to his men, “Hurry and do what you have seen me do.”

49So each man also cut his own branch and followed Abimelech. Then they piled the branches against the inner chamber and set it on fire above them, killing everyone in the tower of Shechem, about a thousand men and women.

50Then Abimelech went to Thebez, encamped against it, and captured it.

51But there was a strong tower inside the city, and all the men, women, and leaders of the city fled there. They locked themselves in and went up to the roof of the tower.

52When Abimelech came to attack the tower, he approached its entrance to set it on fire.

53But a woman dropped an upper millstone on Abimelech’s head, crushing his skull.

54He quickly called his armor-bearer, saying, “Draw your sword and kill me, lest they say of me, ‘A woman killed him.’” So Abimelech’s armor-bearer ran his sword through him, and he died.

55And when the Israelites saw that Abimelech was dead, they all went home.

56In this way God repaid the wickedness that Abimelech had done to his father in murdering his seventy brothers.

57And God also brought all the wickedness of the men of Shechem back upon their own heads. So the curse of Jotham son of Jerubbaal came upon them.

Berean Standard Bible

Read aloud

Abimelech attacks the people of Shechem when they go into the fields. He captures the city, kills its people, demolishes it, and sows it with salt. When people take refuge in the temple's inner chamber, he and his men pile branches against it and set it on fire. About a thousand men and women die.

He then captures Thebez. Its people flee into a strong tower and gather on the roof. Abimelech approaches the entrance to set it alight, as he did at Shechem. This time, a woman drops an upper millstone onto his head and crushes his skull.

Even then, he tries to control his reputation. He orders his armor-bearer to kill him so that people will not say a woman killed him. The armor-bearer does, and the army disperses. Yet the account preserves precisely the event Abimelech wanted hidden.

The closing verses explain that God repaid Abimelech's wickedness against his father's sons and brought Shechem's wickedness back upon its people. Jotham's warning has come to pass. These deaths are not a cheerful ending. They show the terrible destruction surrounding a rule established by murder.

Questions

1 What does Abimelech do to those sheltering at Shechem?

AnswerHe and his followers burn the chamber where they have taken refuge. About a thousand men and women die.

2 What happens when he approaches the tower at Thebez?

AnswerA woman drops an upper millstone onto his head, crushing his skull. His attempt to burn this tower is stopped.

3 How does the narrator explain the end of Abimelech’s rule?

AnswerGod repays his murder of Gideon’s sons and the wickedness of Shechem. Jotham’s warning comes upon them.

4 What can we do when embarrassment tempts us to hide a wrong?

AnswerWe can give a truthful account, apologize to the person harmed, and accept appropriate consequences. Protecting appearances does not repair the harm.

What This Means for Us

Abimelech's last request tries to change what people will say about him. Our own attempts to manage a reputation can begin in smaller ways: omitting a detail, shifting blame, or asking someone to keep quiet. Stop at the truth. Confession may be embarrassing, but it allows the harm itself to receive attention.

Prayer

Lord, keep us from hiding wrongdoing behind a respectable story. Give us courage to confess plainly and care more about repairing harm than protecting our image. Amen.

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